Skinner did not play in San Jose's previous game and will be out week-to-week, recovering from a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old Skinner, in his first season with the Sharks, has seven points (4G / 3A) in 17 games.
Kesselring did not make his season debut until late October and will be sidelined again after suffering an injury in Buffalo's most recent game. He was seen leaving the arena in a walking boot and is expected to be out of the lineup indefinitely. The 25-year-old Kesselring was averaging 15:37 time-on-ice and scored zero points through nine games before his injury.
Kesselring did not make his season debut until late October and will be sidelined again after suffering an injury in Buffalo's most recent game. He was seen leaving the arena in a walking boot and is expected to be out of the lineup indefinitely. The 25-year-old Kesselring was averaging 15:37 time-on-ice and scored zero points through nine games before his injury.
The Sharks are riding a four-game winning streak and can largely thank Askarov for his outstanding play between the pipes. The 23-year-old netminder has a subpar 3.29 GA and .896 SV% in 10 games this season (5-4-1), but has been nearly unbeatable lately, allowing two or fewer goals in four straight (4-0-0) while posting a sublime .963 SV%. The Sharks enter the action on Thursday as +137 road underdogs against the Calgary Flames and their league-worst offense (2.1 GF / GP).
In a surprising turn of events, it was Askarov who led the Sharks out for warmups, indicating he is in fact the starter for Tuesday night's game in Minnesota. Alex Nedeljkovic was the confirmed starter earlier in the day. It's unclear what caused the sudden change, but Nedeljkovic is now expected to back up Askarov. Askarov is red-hot coming into Tuesday night's matchup, winning each of his last three starts while posting a .963 SV% in the process.
Accommodating William Eklund's activation from Injured Reserve, Cardwell has been reassigned to the AHL. The 23-year-old Cardwell has played four games for the Sharks this season, scoring one goal while averaging 12:21 time-on-ice.
With William Eklund (lower body) returning to the Sharks' lineup on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, Cardwell will be the odd man out as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Cardwell has played four games for the Sharks this season, scoring one goal while averaging 12:21 time-on-ice.
The Sharks are playing their best hockey of the season so far, riding a three-game winning streak, and will turn to Nedeljkovic on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild. The 29-year-old Nedeljkovic was excellent in his most recent game, saving 32 of 33 shots (.970 SV%) in a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. He has a 2.96 GAA and .906 SV% in seven games this season (3-2-2). The Sharks enter Tuesday's contest as +179 road underdogs against a Minnesota team that has outscored their opposition 7-2 in their last two games (2-0-0).
Misa continues his recovery from an undisclosed injury and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, beginning with Saturday's game against the Winnipeg Jets. Injuries aside, the Sharks have been easing the 18-year-old Misa into gameplay this season, limited to only seven games, scoring three points (1G / 2A).
